The present invention relates generally to remote servicing of products or equipment and, more particularly, to a method and system for limiting user access to an online centralized service facility containing system documentation for certain equipment, such as medical diagnostic equipment.
Medical diagnostic equipment and supporting systems, such as medical imaging systems, have become increasing complex in recent years. Examples of such systems include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, computer tomography (CT) systems, ultrasound and x-ray systems, and positron emission tomography (PET) systems. To add to the complexity of each particular imaging system, many facilities today incorporate a variety of such equipment. In larger facilities, the systems may be networked to permit common management and control.
Because medical diagnostic systems are critical elements in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, their use must not be delayed by a slow response for service or maintenance. Due to the increasing complexity of these systems, trained service personnel are oftentimes not on location with the equipment. Therefore, remote servicing of medical diagnostic equipment has become very important.
Remote servicing of medical diagnostic equipment has traditionally been performed via voice communication between operations personnel and a centralized servicing facility. Operations personnel would call a remote service facility to report malfunctions and ask questions regarding the proper operation and settings for the equipment. When such queries could not be sufficiently handled by telephone, a service or field engineer would be dispatched to troubleshoot the system and provide the needed assistance.
Improvements in computer networks have greatly facilitated the task of offering maintenance assistance to medical imaging equipment. In particular, rather than having to call a service center and talking to a technician or engineer, or having to await a return call from the service center, network technologies now facilitate proactive techniques wherein the service center may contact the medical diagnostic equipment to check the equipment""s status. Further advancements have been proposed to provide remote service to medical diagnostic systems in an effort to provide the level of service on a continual and interactive basis as needed by many facilities.
Some users, such as service engineers, require access to different product/service data than other users. In particular, the service engineer usually requires access to restricted or proprietary and extremely sensitive product/service data in the form of system documentation to enable system problem-solving and proper servicing of equipment. It is in the business interest of the operator of the central service facility to limit access to such restricted and highly sensitive data. Preferably field service personnel and other permitted users could access such product/service data of a highly sensitive nature from the system being serviced, while other users who lack the necessary security clearance are prevented from accessing the same data.
Thus, there is a need for a system for providing a wide variety of product/service data to a wide variety of users on the basis of different levels of security. The system should also be capable of providing different access rights to different persons.
It would therefore be desirable to have a system and method for providing limited user access to system documentation stored at an online central service facility. It would further be desirable for the system and method to occur so that any data transfer taking place would be done with a high level of trust that the user is entitled to access desired product/service data.
The invention is directed to a use of a secured software application by a remote system user to access documentation related to a particular product at a central service facility. Delivery of the documentation is managed on the basis of a level of security clearance and on the basis of community membership of the remote system user. A single-factor security scheme is utilized to determine whether remote system users seeking access to low-level protected software applications are authentic. Business rules are utilized to determine whether authenticated users seeking access should be authorized and to what security level should be provided for access to product/service documentation relating to the equipment the user possesses.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a document delivery method for providing online access over a computer network to system documentation is disclosed. The method requires a user to enter identifying indicia via a user interface so that the user may be matched with user data that is stored in at least one user database. The user data is checked for authentication purposes by an online central service facility, which has at least one documentation database, the documentation database having product and/or service data stored therein. The method further requires that the user is authenticated for access into a document management system, with such authentication being based on the aforementioned identifying indicia. The user data is checked to determine what particular product/service data the user is entitled to from the document management system. The method also provides for delivery of the particular product/service data to the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a computer data signal, representing a sequence of instruction and embodied in a carrier wave, is disclosed to provide limited user access over a computer network to a document management system. The sequence of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to connect a user accessible computer to an online central service facility via the computer network. The one or more processors are further caused to transmit a user identification over the computer network so that the user may be matched with user data that is stored in at least one user database of the online central service facility. The one or more processors are further caused to authenticate the user for access into a document management system in the online central service facility. The processors are also caused to specify what particular product/service data the user is entitled to based on user parameters. The user parameters are stored within the document management system.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a document management system is disclosed to provide product/service databased on a level of security for a particular user. The system comprises at least one online central service facility having at least one computer and at least one database, and which has access to product/service data. The system also comprises a server that is communicatively linked to the online central service facility. The server is capable of being connected to a user accessible computer so as to allow user access to the online central service facility. The at least one database contains product/service data and user data. The at least one online central service facility computer is programmed to authenticate the user for access into the document management system in the online central service facility, as well as specify what particular product/service data the user is entitled to based on user parameters that are stored within the document management system.
The present invention is particularly useful in providing a user with access to system documentation and delivery of such documentation wherein the access is limited based on a level of security, thereby determining what any given user is entitled to. Access and delivery are provided over a computer network, such as the Internet, but can also be via a closed, dedicated system, such as a direct dial-up system, an intranet, or a dedicated open line network. Using the invention provides a swift, automated, and secure way of ensuring that system documentation is only accessed by appropriately-authorized users.
Various other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.